Industry Voice
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The Future of High-Resolution Computer-Based Audio, Andreas Koch
Industry Voice, NY Audio & AV 2012
Michael Lavorgna • Apr 16, 2012 • 19 comments
As part of our Panel discussion at the NY Audio Show 2012, I Want To Take You Higher – The Present and Future of Digital Music Delivery and Playback which also featured Rob Robinson (Channel D), Larry Ho (Light Harmonic), and David Chesky (HDtracks & Chesky Records), Andreas Koch of Playback Designs was kind enough to share this presentation.

After the seminar, an attendee asked if it would available online and Andreas was kind enough yet again to let us reprint it here.

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DoP Open Standard
Industry Voice
Michael Lavorgna • Apr 06, 2012 • 2 comments
[Editor's Note: We're reproducing and sharing this document in its entirety and AudioStream would like to thank Andreas Koch (Playback Designs), Andy McHarg (dCS), Gordon Rankin (Wavelength Audio), and Michal Jurewicz (Mytek Digital) for their efforts in defining a DoP Open Standard]

Method for transferring DSD Audio over PCM Frames
Version 1.1
Presented by Andreas Koch, Andy McHarg, Gordon Rankin, Michal Jurewicz

The USB Audio specification 2.0 defines multiple formats for audio of which standard PCM is only one. A general “raw data” format was also defined that can be used for any kind of data including audio, but unfortunately, no specific format was defined for DSD and with the ongoing proliferation of USB converters in the current market it appears that the opportunity for the official USB specification to adopt a single common method of transferring DSD audio via USB is slowly disappearing. This is an attempt of uniting as many manufacturers as possible and jointly defining a method for transferring DSD via USB. While this method is mainly targeted for USB links it is general enough to be applied to other PCM based links such as Firewire, AES/EBU, S/PDIF etc.

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DSD via USB, Toward An Open Standard
Industry Voice
Michael Lavorgna • Feb 19, 2012 • 3 comments
[Editor's Note: We're reproducing and sharing this document in its entirety and AudioStream would like to thank Andreas Koch, Andy McHarg and Rob Robinson for their efforts in defining an open standard for DSD over USB]

USB Link for DSD Audio via PCM Frames
Presented by Andreas Koch (Playback Designs), Andy McHarg (dCS), and Rob Robinson (Channel D)

Version 1.0
The USB Audio specification 2.0 defines multiple formats for audio of which standard PCM is only one. A general “raw data” format was also defined that can be used for any kind of data including audio, but unfortunately, no specific format was defined for DSD and with the ongoing proliferation of USB converters in the current market it appears that the opportunity for the official USB specification to adopt a single common method of transferring DSD audio via USB is slowly disappearing. This is an attempt of uniting as many manufacturers as possible and jointly defining a method for transferring DSD via USB.

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Q&A with Doug Graham of Naim
Industry Voice
Michael Lavorgna • Jan 30, 2012 • 0 comments
I recently sent 5 questions to Doug Graham, Naim Audio's International Sales Manager, and he was kind enough to respond to all of them. Naim Audio, as you more than likely know, have an extensive product line that includes each piece of the hi-fi puzzle from front end to speakers and everything in between. Naim has also developed an extensive product line centered around what they prefer to call 'streaming audio' as opposed to 'computer audio'. As the Editor of AudioStream, I won't argue the point. The Naim streaming audio product line includes Hard Disk Players/Music Servers, Network Players, DACs and All-in-one Players.

Naim appears to be addressing both the audiophile community as well as trying to draw in those people looking for better sound quality from their streaming media in a simple all-in-one device. With this in mind, I focused on the broader marker and the wide net Naim is casting. Without further ado, let's get on with the Q&A:

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The Future Of Computer Audio
Industry Voice
Michael Lavorgna • Oct 12, 2011 • 0 comments

The following questions were sent to a group of Industry Professionals.

1. Where do you see Computer Audio in 3 years?
2. What changes would you like to see as opposed to what you expect to see?
3. Make a prediction for the far-out future of Computer Audio.

Here's what they had to say:
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